I think this song is the speaker speaking to the girl he loves, who is insecure about herself and her looks. She may be always down on herself and having self-esteem issues.
It has some really beautiful lyrics, I think.
"Beautiful, I watch you try to see yourself through others' eyes"
Here the woman is trying to figure out how other people view her and how other people think of her. She is trying to figure out if they think she's pretty, not pretty, etc.
"But mirrors are a losing game. They only show you backwards anyway."
In a quite literal sense, mirrors do only show you backwards. You only ever really get to see yourself looking at a reflection of yourself-you don't ever truly see yourself. You don't see yourself laughing at a funny joke or talking animatedly about something you're passionate about. The singer is saying here that the girl shouldn't be so wrapped up in her appearance and whether or not she's hot or pretty or whatever she wanted to be considered, because it's just a losing game. Beauty is subjective anyway. :)
"The magic and the misery, come and go so easily."
I think the girl has mood swings-like really high highs and really low lows and the changes in mood and temperament come and go quickly and easily.
"But everything you'll ever be, you already are to me."
He's saying that she doesn't need to try to be something else for other people or to try to perfect whatever public image she wants to have, because to him she already is everything.
I'll skip a few lines because they're pretty self-explanatory.
"Why, I don't know why. I don't why you think you need to do it. How, I don't know how. I don't know how but I just sit back and I see my way right through it."
He is admitting that he does not know why she feels the need to be so critical of herself and her looks and how her moods can change so quickly. But I think him saying he'll sit back and see his way through it is him saying he'll stick with her throughout it.
"When the memories stand ten feet tall throwing shadows on your bedroom wall. When you pull the shade and kill the lights, will you hear me singing out tonight?"
Maybe she's had a rough past that's caused her to think this way-a previous boyfriend or family member, perhaps. He's sort of pleading with her in a kind manner to listen to him and believe him.
"Days are long and words are cruel. But they won't get the best of you."
This woman seems to be having a hard time from the entire song, but this line especially points it out, to me. He's saying he knows that her days are long and the words people say about her are cruel, but he also knows that she won't let them get the best of her.
A great unreleased JM song. This and A Face to Call Home are probably the closest things he's written to real love songs, and they're both beautiful.
I think this song is the speaker speaking to the girl he loves, who is insecure about herself and her looks. She may be always down on herself and having self-esteem issues. It has some really beautiful lyrics, I think.
"Beautiful, I watch you try to see yourself through others' eyes" Here the woman is trying to figure out how other people view her and how other people think of her. She is trying to figure out if they think she's pretty, not pretty, etc.
"But mirrors are a losing game. They only show you backwards anyway." In a quite literal sense, mirrors do only show you backwards. You only ever really get to see yourself looking at a reflection of yourself-you don't ever truly see yourself. You don't see yourself laughing at a funny joke or talking animatedly about something you're passionate about. The singer is saying here that the girl shouldn't be so wrapped up in her appearance and whether or not she's hot or pretty or whatever she wanted to be considered, because it's just a losing game. Beauty is subjective anyway. :)
"The magic and the misery, come and go so easily." I think the girl has mood swings-like really high highs and really low lows and the changes in mood and temperament come and go quickly and easily.
"But everything you'll ever be, you already are to me." He's saying that she doesn't need to try to be something else for other people or to try to perfect whatever public image she wants to have, because to him she already is everything.
I'll skip a few lines because they're pretty self-explanatory.
"Why, I don't know why. I don't why you think you need to do it. How, I don't know how. I don't know how but I just sit back and I see my way right through it." He is admitting that he does not know why she feels the need to be so critical of herself and her looks and how her moods can change so quickly. But I think him saying he'll sit back and see his way through it is him saying he'll stick with her throughout it.
"When the memories stand ten feet tall throwing shadows on your bedroom wall. When you pull the shade and kill the lights, will you hear me singing out tonight?" Maybe she's had a rough past that's caused her to think this way-a previous boyfriend or family member, perhaps. He's sort of pleading with her in a kind manner to listen to him and believe him.
"Days are long and words are cruel. But they won't get the best of you." This woman seems to be having a hard time from the entire song, but this line especially points it out, to me. He's saying he knows that her days are long and the words people say about her are cruel, but he also knows that she won't let them get the best of her.
A great unreleased JM song. This and A Face to Call Home are probably the closest things he's written to real love songs, and they're both beautiful.